How in the world do the kitties with oddities keep finding us? (Test results back...post 12)

Let me tell you about Oliver.

He is a stray that has showed up at my mom's house. He's been there several months. I can't remember exactly how long ago he came. Things have been terribly hectic there. We've been dealing with Higgins and his diabetes diagnosis and UTI problems. They also moved my 86 year old, bed-ridden grandmother who has Alzheimer's in with them. So needless to say, Oliver hasn't been top priority. He usually comes around in the morning and the evening when she feeds them. Anyway, she contacted a near by humane society and got a $35 credit to put toward getting him fixed. His appointment was this morning. She had them call me to tell me how things were going. I got a call about 12:50 from the vet's office. I knew that wasn't a good sign. They start doing their surgeries after lunch. It is usually around 2:30 when they call to say how things went. She was having him combo tested and vaccinated as well. My first thought was that the test came back positive for something. I could tell right away when Nikki started talking that something wasn't right. She told me right away that the tests were negative. Then she explained that they had Oliver all prepped for surgery, and they couldn't find any testicles. It is possible that he'd been neutered by someone else already. That would be the most likely thing. The other option is that the testicles never "dropped" and are still inside. I've heard of this happening before, mostly in dogs though. It is also rare that both of them don't descend. We would just go with the idea that he is neutered, except that he has the look and smell and attitude of an unneutered male. So after much deliberation, we decided to spend $80 on a blood test to see if he is producing testosterone or not. If not, then great, he's been neutered. If he is, then they have to cut him open and pull all the insides out looking for the testicles. She said that they could be anywhere from his hips to his neck! The test results won't be back for 2 days. So, he's at the vet's office tonight since he'd already been sedated. Then if it turns out he's producing testosterone he'll have to go back on Thursday to have that surgery. That $35 sure isn't going to go very far in covering his medical bill! This vet's office is really good about giving us a discount when they can. I just can't believe all the crazy things that cats that have found their way to our house have had over the years.

I find it odd that they waited until he was surgically prepped to feel for his testicles... we were taught to do that first thing :O

My Charlie was bi-cryptorchid... and boy that was an expensive neuter... they called me at least 3 times that morning asking if I was SURE he wasn't already neutered... I assured them that he was not, as he came from a "breeder" and she sure as heck wasn't going to pay to have him neutered prior to being placed in a home... he came home shaved from his butt to his sternum with two large incisions

I think because he wasn't necessarily a "tame" kitty, they waited and sedated him before doing the blood work for the combo test and checking for the testicles. My mom can touch him. He is very scared of me when I go over to visit and feed them though. I'm sure that Mom told them that. We had one an incident there with another kitty, Sydney, where she got free and literally was climbing the curtains. They had to lock the doors before they were able to recapture her. They ended up having to put the carrier in a garbage bag and gas her so they could sedate her.

My RB Starr also had this condition. He was supposed to get neutered before I adopted him but of course there was nothing on the outside to neuter. His foster mom knew that I would get him neutered so I waited until he was 5-6 months old. He actually had a spay/neuter because one of his testicles had descended but the other was still inside of him. He had stitches all the way up to his chest area.

My Levi was also a double cryptorchid but he was already neutered before I adopted him. There have been a few other FOSMAS foster cats that have been double cryptorchid too. I always thought that this was rare but this year it seems to be much more common. I wonder what's causing it to be so common now? The vet that I saw last Tues. said that cats with double cryptorchids seem to have strange personalities and some times there are other strange things going on with them internally. Levi does have a strange personality. If he was human I would say that he has ADD. My RB Starr was a very sickly cat for most of his short life. He had IBD/Colitis which would cause severe explosive diarrhea. I wonder if being a cyrptorchid caused any of this.

I hope that Oliver has already been neutered so he doesn't have to go through any more procedures. Good luck.

I know this isn't funny, but the thought popped into my head ~~~ maybe "he" is a "she". I suppose stranger things happened.

Hoping that it's good news for Oliver, and "he" doesn't have to go thru any extensive surgery.

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Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

I know this isn't funny, but the thought popped into my head ~~~ maybe "he" is a "she". I suppose stranger things happened.

When Nikki called and said that he didn't have testicles, my first thought was that he had female parts instead or in addtion, because he is definitely male.

Anyway, Oliver came home. They said that he was a big baby. He must have heard them say that and tried to prove him wrong because then he started hissing at them as they walked to his cage. They are hoping for test results from the blood work tomorrow. Mom is concerned about putting him through such an invasive surgery if he hasn't been fixed already. I told her that cancer is much more likely if they stay inside, besides the fact that he could impregnate any females that may be around. She just feels bad for him. Plus he would probably have to stay in my garage in the large dog kennel for a while until he heals some. One step at a time. First we'll wait to see how the blood work turns out.

Special thanks to those of you that have posted about your cats with a similar condition.

The vet's office closes at noon on Wednesdays. They must not have gotten results back before they closed. Maybe tomorrow. Mom said that he was so friendly last night. She was in the pool and he came out front and was purring and rolling around demanding to be scratched. She said that he never goes in the front yard.

Got the call with the results. We have good news...Oliver is neutered! His testosterone level was 45. They are usually less than 50 for a male that has been neutered. A normal, unneutered male has levels around 1000! A cryptorchid's levels are usually between 100 and 500. I'm very glad that he isn't going to have to have the invasive surgery to hunt them down and remove them.

Whew..........I'll bet he was wiping a paw of relief across his brow upon hearing that he had been spared that ordeal. It was bad enough to go thru once, without mistakenly going thru it a 2nd time!

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Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

Got the call with the results. We have good news...Oliver is neutered! His testosterone level was 45. They are usually less than 50 for a male that has been neutered. A normal, unneutered male has levels around 1000! A cryptorchid's levels are usually between 100 and 500. I'm very glad that he isn't going to have to have the invasive surgery to hunt them down and remove them.